Cost Effective Methods of in Vitro Multiple Shoot Production in Two Commercial Diploid Bananas of Kerala

Abstract

Cost-effective methods for in vitro propagation of two commercial diploid bananas of Kerala, namely Musa (AB) ‘ Njalipoovan’ and Musa (AA) ‘ Nivedyakadali’ were carried out to reduce unit production cost. Sword sucker, peeper sucker and eye bud explants were found to be equally effective concerning the number of axillary shoots from a single explant in both cultivars. Sucrose 3.0 per cent and table sugar 2.0 per cent produced the maximum number of multiple shoots in Njalipoovan. In the case of Nivedyakadali, table sugar at 2.0 per cent recorded the maximum number of multiple shoots. Half strength of vitamins in full MS medium observed more multiple shoots in cv. Njalipoovan. Half a tablet of vitamin B complex (2.0mgl^-1) in the medium resulted in more shoots in the case of cv. Nivedyakadali. Agar 0.7 per cent recorded a significantly higher number of multiple shoots per culture in both cultivars. The treatments involving different types of paper support (filter paper, brown paper and ordinary paper) in liquid media were inferior to agar 0.7 per cent treatment.